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Prize Gun Works

Rob Derry

Rob Derry

master brummie
In looking at the OS maps from the late 1800s and the area around St Mary's Church where my ancestor David Mountford lived (Bath Street) I noticed the Prize Gun Works on the Loveday Street side. My ancestors were Gun Percussioners (both David and his son William Page) and so I am tempted to think that this was where they worked. Birmingham Library has no records of the firm but I wondered if anyone has any information on them or photos of the building?
 
Gun_Quarter_Street_Plan_c_1890.jpg loveday st hosp map including the bull pub.jpg hi rob as you most likely know that area is known as the gun quarter so there would have been more than one gun makers ..it is of course possible that your ancestor could have worked at the prize gun works which looks to have been a substantial building but there again he could have worked elsewhere...just looked at the map i have and i did not realise that the prize gun works was opposite the bull pub where we hold most of our forum meet ups...if i do find a photo i will post it for you..actually i think the building on the opposite corner to the bull pub price st was a gun factory and that is still there..i have also posted a street plan that shows just a part of the qun quarter

lyn
 
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220px-St_Mary%27s_Row%2C_Gun_Quarter_in_1960.jpg

Photograph of the now demolished St. Mary's Row, viewed from Loveday Street. Prize Gun Works is on the right.
 
Thats great and yes I realise its a long shot its just that they lived on Bath Street and so its nearby. When is the next meet? I'd love to try and make it.
 
and we would love to see you at a meet rob..i am in the process of trying to work out a date for the next meet up which should please you as when ever it is it will be at the bull pub so keep an eye on the events and meet up section of the forum

lyn
 
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forgot to say rob that if your ancestors were drinking men they would almost certainly have drunk in the bull pub and indeed the gunmakers bath st and that is still open as well:)
 
The last of those four pictures could be of the Price Street building, or somewhere very similar. The previous three, having different window sizes, must be somewhere else.
 
The first two photos of the last group are labelled Jesse hill gunmaker. this may be J Hill gunmaker who is listed in Kellys as at 1A Ash Tree road till 1964, but is more likely yo be Jesse hill who , until shortly after WW2 was a gun action maker at back of 126 Steelhouse lane
 
Article in Express & Star the other day that detailed planning permission being sort to make 84 apartments at the Gunsmith House in Price street. Would this be the building in the photos above? Can't find any reference to Gunsmith House in any thread.
 
Thanks for that mikejee. They are proposing to put 34 one bed, 44 two bed and 4 three bed apartments in it. I wonder what provision they will make for car parking. Also how much they will be charging for each apartment.
 
johnny082 said:
Thanks for that mikejee. They are proposing to put 34 one bed, 44 two bed and 4 three bed apartments in it. I wonder what provision they will make for car parking. Also how much they will be charging for each apartment.
Click to expand...
hi johnny can you just confirm this is the building seems a lot of apartments to fit in..cheers

lyn

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